Capped Wheatear
Capped WheatearCapped WheatearCapped WheatearCapped Wheatear

Capped Wheatear

Oenanthe pileata

Silhouette: PhyloPic · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
15 Verified sightings at iSimangaliso Wetland Park From 2019 to 2026
2,525 Verified sightings across all 36 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Capped Wheatear

The capped wheatear (Oenanthe pileata) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is widely distributed over southern Africa. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now placed in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

The capped wheatear was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the wagtails in the genus Motacilla and coined the binomial name Motacilla pileata. The specific epithet is from Latin pileatus meaning "-capped". Gmelin based his account on the "Black-hooded wheat-ear" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham's specimen had been collected near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The capped wheatear is now placed in the genus Oenanthe that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.

Three subspecies are recognised: O. p. neseri Macdonald, 1952 – south Angola, Namibia, west Botswana and northwest South Africa O. p. livingstonii (Tristram, 1868) – central Kenya to northeast... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Familiar Chat
LC

Familiar Chat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oenanthe familiaris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Redcap Robinchat
LC

Redcap Robinchat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cossypha natalensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Brown Scrub Robin

Brown Scrub Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erythropygia signata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ashy Alseonax

Ashy Alseonax

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa caerulescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Stonechat
LC

African Stonechat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saxicola torquatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Dusky Flycatcher
LC

African Dusky Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa adusta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Southern Black Flycatcher
LC

Southern Black Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melaenornis pammelaina

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
White-browed Scrub Robin

White-browed Scrub Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erythropygia leucophrys

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Bearded Scrub Robin

Bearded Scrub Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erythropygia quadrivirgata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Fiscal Flycatcher
LC

Fiscal Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sigelus silens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Pale Flycatcher

Pale Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bradornis pallidus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Grey Tit-Flycatcher

Grey Tit-Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myioparus plumbeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
2 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
3 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
5 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
6 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
7 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
8 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
9 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
10 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
11 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
12 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
13 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
14 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
15 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
16 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
17 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
18 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
19 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
20 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
21 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
22 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
23 Golden Gate Highlands National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
24 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
25 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
26 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
27 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
28 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
29 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
30 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
31 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
32 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
33 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
34 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
35 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
36 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Capped Wheatear in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Capped Wheatear sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Capped Wheatear in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Capped Wheatear in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

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